Tampa Bay Buccaneers guard Carl Nicks has had surgery on his foot in an attempt to rid him of an MRSA infection.

Nicks first picked up the infection during pre-season and missed the first two games of the Buccaneers' season before making his return for the third and fourth matches.

However, it was confirmed last week that the 28-year-old had been diagnosed with a recurrence of the infection, prompting his side to send him for a second opinion and ultimately surgery. Head coach Greg Schiano was unsure how long Nicks would be sidelined for.

Nicks is one of three Buccaneers players to have been diagnosed with MRSA this season, with kicker Lawrence Tynes being ruled out for the entire campaign and rookie cornerback Johnthan Banks picking up the infection last week.